Grocery Outlet — Local services in Redondo Beach

I received the most rude and embarrassing experience today while shopping with my service dog at this location. First and LAST time going there. I was approached at the register as I was paying for dog food and having difficulties with my card, by someone who stated she was the owner of that location. An elderly white woman with blue eyes. That's all I remember as her piercing eyes just judged me with such rage and hate. I didn't get her name as I was so embarrassed and taken by surprise while also managing my in-training service animal. It was such a humiliating experience for me as today I was finally having a great morning up until then. She ruined the rest of my day. My mood was completely altered. My conditions, which I will leave out to avoid anymore public humiliation, doesn't always allow me to have "good days". I suffer from a lot of underlying conditions, despite my overall appearance and personality. I try to be positive as much as possible while struggling with my various disabilities. I don't always see, hear, or stand too well. That's why I have the service dog. Which he did have a tag on stating "Service Dog In Training". Although, that part was turned under his neck. So she didn't see it.

I wonder what lured her to target me. My dog was not being a nuisance, he was quiet the entire time being there. Even when that woman did what she did. I noticed one person got so happy just from seeing my dog. I'm sure it made his day. Usually my dog would have chimed in at that moment seeing someone was bothering me to protect me. He didn't even do anything.

Was it my Mayan necklace, my Staffordshire Bull Terrier that consistently gets mistaken by the misunderstood Pit Bull, or was it my brown skin? Did I look out of place, did you think I was a homeless or a degenerate person? In either case, you don't treat anyone that way. You don't know what someone is truly dealing with on the inside. Especially, a totally stranger. I'm struggling enough as it is. This didn't help. I hope you come to terms with whatever you have against dogs or people like me....

I have a service animal that I brought into the store. He had a harness on that indicated what he was. Because he is extremely ill and unable to walk more than a few minutes, I put him in a low profile stroller. He just laid in the stroller and was quiet.

I did my shopping by placing a small hand-held basket on top of the stroller. I had no issues until I checked out.

12/23/24 Redondo Beach Store #368 Cashier: Linda (Black woman, short hair, glasses)

As Linda was running my groceries she looked down and saw my service animal and said, "Oh, you can't have a pet in here." I told her that he was not a pet but a service animal.

Linda said, 'What condition do you have?" I said that is against the law to ask. (For instance, you cannot ask an individual with a service dog to demonstrate their service dog’s skills, and you cannot ask about the specifics of their disability).

Linda said according to ADA we can ask. I told her no, that is not true.

Linda then looked over the counter again and said, "Is that all the groceries? Anything left in there?" So this cashier was now accusing me of theft.

Keeping my composure I said, there is nothing left.

She mentioned again about my service animal. I asked her what the problem was, that my dog is just laying there sleeping. We were also on our way out.

Linda then called a Supervisor over to "Approve" my groceries? Linda informed the Supervisor of my service animal and said something under her breath.

The supervisor just said okay and nodded, signed a form and left.

Linda didn't say another word, just finished the transaction and packed my groceries. I said thank you twice while she was handing me my groceries. She said nothing back and turned to help the next customer.

Linda was rude, unprofessional, insulting and borderline broke the law in regards...

(Spoiler Alert: Pretty awesome!) Omg! First of all...I'm a local, born and raised in the South Bay...native to Redondo Beach specifically. I remember Lucky's in this location and then Albertson's.. and went to both a million times growing up. But for whatever reason I always put off the chance or choice to pop in at the Grocery Outlet... WHYYYYYYAH? I WASTED TIME and probably SO MUCH OF MY MONEY ((NOT)) shopping here. It was definitely an experience.. almost like a big wonderful ah-hah moment seeing some of the prices on my basics and favorite staples all around the store. There really are great prices...and Really really good prices mixed in with some "normal" or average prices. I didnt do the math to be honest, but my average savings (guesstimate) on the items I purchased was probably between $2-8 (yeah... some items were shockingly low for what I would call the "big bag" or "the good stuff" types or kinds of items. I'm so excited to take my mom and introduce her to this store...with her now on a fixed budget as a young, but still, "senior citizen" its important that she starts to make good decisions with money and this will absolutely help her grocery spending- I feel like such a commercial spokesperson- without her having to lessen the quality of brand names or the nutrition value etc. Last thing I wanted to quickly say was that I was stoked to easily find grass fed, quality ground beef for 4.99. Score(!!) in my book! So happy. **And last-last thing: each and every employee I had any sort of contact with (whether passing by them, ones I asked questions of/from, the checker who rang me up, and guy who took my cart) were/ was cordial, friendly, and helpful.... Honest. Can't even make this $hit up!

Great first experience. And THEYRE OPEN TIL 10 every day! Dreams DO come true, folks......